Real time strategy games develop thinking skills because gaming is an object oriented pursuit, where a player's actions may or may not bring him closer to achieving the objectives. However, because each player is responsible for his own actions, there is no larger environment in which his actions are evaluated and assessed. While it is understood that real time strategy games (RTS games) have potential to develop problem solving skills, decision making skills, and other skills, simply playing RTS games does not guarantee the use and therefore development of these skills. For example, a player can find solutions to in-game challenges by trial-and-error, observing another player, or from an external source (e.g., the Internet or another friend) without applying the appropriate thinking skills.
Therefore, in order to realize the potential of RTS games to engage players to develop thinking skills, there is a need for a method to better leverage the real time strategy gaming medium to further develop the gamers' thinking skills.